Susan Collins refuses to weigh in on Platner’s sexting scandal as Maine voters head to polls

Sen.Susan Collins and Graham Platner are pictured together.(Graeme Sloan/Getty Images;Sophie Park/Getty Images)

“As I said to you earlier, I do not have anything to add to this,” Collins said.

Collins’ refusal to engage comes asRepublicans have increasingly made Platner’scontroversies a central line of attack ahead of the primary.Outside organizations backing Collins have aired ads and amplified criticism of the Maine Democrat, while the senator herself has largely avoided publicly weighing in despite being expected to face him in November’s midterms.

Read More → Golden Tempo, 2026 Kentucky Derby winner, takes home 158th Belmont Stakes

Collins’ recent reluctance to comment differs from her earlier remarks about Platner.com/politics/platner-hot-seat-maine-voters-rip-horrible-comments-reddit-scandal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mocked a wounded U.S.soldier.

“It’s never appropriate to mock a downed American soldier,�“It’s just appalling.”

PLATNER SUPPORTER KHANNA CALLS SENATE HOPEFUL’S PAST RELATIONSHIPS ‘TOXIC,’ BUT SAYS HE DESERVES ‘REDEMPTION’

Read More → Cruise director warns overnight hotel stays could leave passengers stranded abroad

Sen.Susan Collins, R-Maine, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington on July 24, 2025.(J.Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

But she has repeatedly declined to address the more recent sexting scandal allegations that occurred while Platner was married, which have dominated discussion of the race in the final days before the primary.

The silence also shows the difference in how Democrats have responded to the controversy.Party leaders and allies have increasingly backed, and even formally endorsed, Platner as more controversies continue to surface in his campaign.Democrats have directly targeted Collins over her voting record and argue that flipping the seat remains a top priority despite all the allegations surrounding Platner.

Read More → NASA’s Artemis follow-up mission ‘right around the corner’after successful lunar flight

WATCH: MAINE VOTERS DIVIDED ON PLATNER AS SCANDALS SHADOW DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

Sen.Bernie Sanders and Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner stand together during a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour stop at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus in Orono, Maine, on May 24, 2026.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Platner has continued campaigning, with top lawmakers such as Sen.Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep.Ro Khanna, D-Calif.�taking accountability” for his past and that “we need that redemption in this country.”

onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.

Read More → Are bank text codes enough to protect you?

With polls open Tuesday,Maine voters face a choicethat could shape one of the country’s most-watched Senate races, as Platner seeks to move past the controversy and secure a matchup against Collins.

Hannah Brennan is a Digital Production Assistant on the Politics team.She previously interned at the Aspen Daily News, where she covered local government meetings, community developments, cultural events and nationally significant political events.Her reporting included coverage of the Aspen Security Forum and appearances by prominent leaders such as former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.